


By the lake

by strangerthingswasntthatgood



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, fairy tale AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:55:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27530371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strangerthingswasntthatgood/pseuds/strangerthingswasntthatgood
Summary: Andromache decides to stop by a lake when she hears singing
Relationships: Andy | Andromache of Scythia & Quynh | Noriko
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	By the lake

**Author's Note:**

> @lilolilyr on tumblr gave me this prompt and I had so much fun writing it! And yes, I love Quynh as water creatures, sue me

Once upon a time, there was a knight. Her name was Andromache and on her many adventures, she had met a lot of people and even more creatures. She had a favorite, of course. One that she came back to again and again. This is the story of how they met.

It was a nice day. The sun stood high and warmed Andromache’s skin. Birds chirped and the woods were calm. A stream followed the road. Andromache, like many other days, sat on the horseback. She had taken the saddle off a few hours ago. Few things felt as comforting as the warmth of the horse against her thighs.

A soft voice broke through the sounds of the woods. It was a lullaby Androache recognized. Her mother had sung it to her most nights before bed, as none of them could read and stories were left for Friday nights when they gathered by the fire in the middle of the small town where she grew up. The men and women who had traveled took turns telling stories and most of the kids had been glued to the spot where they sat. It was a fond memory.

Andromache gently pressed her heels to the horse’s sides and Vinur took an eager step forward before she broke into a trot. The voice came closer and when Andromache saw the creature between the trees, she pulled just enough on the reins to get Vinur to halt. With a swift movement, she jumped down from the horse and walked closer.

She had seen sirens before. She grew up close to the ocean and there was a spot on a cliff where they used to lay. Andromache hadn’t been allowed near them and neither had her siblings. Andromache had never spoken to any of them, even though they were insanely beautiful and Andromache would hide in a tree close by to watch them.

For just a moment, Andromache felt like a child again. The siren’s tale shone like gold in the sunlight and her hair looked smoother than silk.

She silenced. Andromache was about to take a step closer when she heard her voice again.

“It’s rude to stare”, she turned around and pulled her hair over one of her shoulders. Andromache gently grabbed the mane of her horse and walked closer, then. She let her eyes linger on the siren and stopped just far away from the other that they wouldn’t be able to touch each other.

“I apologize”, Andromache let go of her horse again and watched as Vinur took a step closer to the lake to have a drink. “My mother never taught me manners.”

There was a hint of a smile on the siren’s face.

“I’m Andromache of-...”

The siren cut her off.

“Of Scythia. Yes, I know.”

Andromache was about to open her mouth and say something, but the siren pointed towards her chest. She quickly looked down and let out a small laugh when she saw the crest. Of course.

“I’m Quynh”, the siren said, then. She dipped her hand in the lake.

“It’s nice to meet you, Quynh”, Andromache took another step closer, before she sat by the edge of the lake. Like the siren, she gently dipped three fingers in the water. It was warmer than Andromache had expected. For a moment, they sat in silence.

“What brings you here?” Quynh asked, finally. Andromache thought for a second before she replied.

“I heard your song”, Andromache pulled her hand from the water and pulled her boots off. In the same movement, she stuck her feet in the water. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. It was beautiful, I just came to listen.”

They silenced again. A drop of water landed in Andromache’s hair and she quickly glanced up. To her surprise, it wasn’t Quynh, but Vinur. Her muzzle was wet and when Andromache turned back to look at the lake, Vinur rested her head against Andromache’s. Andromache couldn’t help the small laugh that left her lips, as she gently petted her horse.

Quynh turned to her at the sound and for just a second, Andromache could tell she wasn’t as calm as she made herself out to be. The second of terror had Andromache’s heart skip a beat and she suddenly felt bad for stopping.

“Do you live here?” Andromache asked softly.

Quynh nodded.

“I don’t like the ocean much”, Quynh said, as she slipped from the rock and down in the water. When she did, Andromache pulled her feet up. “And I like to watch travelers.”

Andromache laughed softly again.

“Have you eaten? Your kind, you eat now, no? When the sun is at its highest?”

Andromache turned to have a look at Quynh. Only her head was above the water now and her hair flowed in the water like a protective shield of her upper body. Andromache shook her head.

“I haven’t. I was going to wait until I arrive.”

Quynh perked up a little. She looked a little less tense in the water. Andromache thought she knew why. Now, if Andromache turned out to be something else than she pretended to be, it would be easy for Quynh to leave. The lake was big and humans couldn’t breathe underwater.

“Where?”

“Home”, Andromache replied. Vinur had wandered and now stood in a small glade, chewing some grass. “To the town where I grew up.”

Quynh sank a little lower in the water.

“Is it close?”

“Another hour by horse”, Andromache replied, gently drawing patterns on the top of the water. “Two, if I take it slow.”

Quynh disappeared. Andromache looked for her in the water, but couldn’t see her. There was a moment when Andromache thought she saw the water move at the other end of the lake, but she wasn’t sure.

She was just about to get up and leave when Quynh reappeared. She quickly threw three fish by Andromache’s feet.

“Enough?” Quynh asked and Andromache nodded. It would be more than enough. The fish was big enough to feed a family.

“Thank you”, Andromache said. “You should eat, too.”

Quynh shook her head.

“I’m not hungry. We only need to eat once a day”, Quynh moved closer to the edge of the lake and pulled herself up with her lower arms. She hung there, her upper body above the water, and her tale still in it.

“Show me how to make a fire?”

Andromache glanced up at Quynh again. She had a shy smile on her lips and Andromache nodded.

“Alright. Let me gather some things.”

Andromache stood. When she had found what she was looking for and had pulled a flintstone from her bag, she returned to where she had been sat just a moment earlier.

“First”, Andromache said. “You have to make a circle of stone. To make sure it doesn’t burn down the woods.”

Andromache worked quickly. She hadn’t realized just how hungry she was until the big, fat fish had been thrown by her feet. She had been too eager at the thought of coming home, she supposed.

Quynh still hung by the edge. She looked at the stones with wide eyes and Andromache felt just a tad bit shy. She had never really taught anyone anything before unless dice counted (which it definitely didn’t).

“Then”, Andromache threw some dry twigs in the circle together with a few dry leaves. “You smack the stones together. There are other ways, but this is my favorite.”

Andromache held out the stones to Quynh, who quickly moved down in the water again. She didn’t look as scared now as she had just before she went in the water, but she still looked reserved.

“Do you want to try?” Andromache asked finally when she realized Quynh didn’t know what she wanted. For a few seconds, Quynh seemed to think, before she took the stones from Andromache and moved to sit at the edge of the lake. She leaned closer and struck the stones together. Nothing happened.

Quynh looked up at her with a small head tilt and a confused look on her face. Her forehead had furrowed.

“May I touch you?” Andromache asked and held out her hands, but didn’t touch the siren until she had gotten a clear answer. Then, she carefully put her hands atop Quynh’s. Her hands were cold but very soft.

“Like this”, Andromache said, as she helped Quynh smack the stones together again. There was a spark, but still no fire. Andromache let go of her and Quynh tried again. There were another spark and the third time she smacked them together, the spark was big enough to light one of the leaves on fire. With a few well-placed twigs, there was soon a nice little fire going. Quynh watched the flames with wide eyes and her lips were separated and formed a small ‘o’.

Andromache quickly wrapped the fish in tree bark and placed it as close to the ring of stones as she could, as if to not have it burn to a crisp. She let Quynh marvel at the fire and watched the siren with a fond smile.

“And I think it’s done”, Andromache pulled the bundle from the edge of the fire and quickly let it go in front of Quynh. “Careful, it’s hot.”

Quynh didn’t seem to listen, or care. She touched the bark as if to see just how hot it was, before she unwrapped it. She poked the fish.

“Try”, Andromache said, as she moved a little closer. She pulled a piece of meat from the fish and handed it to Quynh, who carefully grabbed it. Andromache sucked her fingers, as if that would help with the burning.

Quynh opened her mouth and took the meat in her mouth. She grimaced for just a second, before her face lit up in a smile. Andromache snickered.

“Have more”, she said, as she pulled more meat from the fish. She had some herself. “There’s plenty to go around.”

Andromache wasn’t sure how long she stayed with Quynh, but the sun was setting when she finally stood from the place where they sat. She had to hurry home, if she wanted to get there before everyone went to bed.

“I have to leave”, she announced, and Quynh glanced up at her with something that Andromache could only read as sorrow.

She hesitated, but spoke.

“Will you come back?”

Andromache’s lips pulled up in a wide grin.

“Yeah, I will. Someone will have to make sure you don’t burn the woods down.”

Quynh smiled almost shyly and if Andromache hadn’t known better, she would’ve thought Quynh blushed.

Andromache called for her horse and got up, then waved.

“I’ll see you again in a few days, alright?”

Quynh waved back, even though she didn’t seem sure of what it meant.

“I’ll see you, Andromache of Schthia.”


End file.
